Sidelines
by Anxious Owl
Summary: Happy has to admit that they go together. Clintasha.


Just a random thingie.

Enjoy.

* * *

He glanced at his watch for the fourth time in three minutes. He'd been waiting for almost fifteen.

Originally, he had escorted Pepper into the labs because apparently Tony had some 'badass' tech he wanted moved home, that he couldn't possibly trust any of Fury's 'lackeys' with. Of course, the duty then fell to his ever faithful chauffeur/labourer. Happy didn't mind, he never usually minded. Then, something came up concerning the battle against the alien-robot-lizard things, so Fury had wanted to talk to Tony and Dr. Banner. Pepper had been included, not only because she demanded every detail concerning Tony's involvement with S.H.I.E.L.D and the Avengers as his girlfriend and PA, but also because Fury valued her Tony-taming skills. Oh, didn't they all.

However, this left Happy waiting in the canteen nursing a milky coffee whilst trying to avoid eye contact with S.H.I.E.L.D. agents. They would fix him with an unwavering stare, decide he wasn't worth interrogating, and move on. It didn't help that they all wore assassin style uniforms, had sleek handguns strapped to their sides, and wore bitter expressions as though someone had poured sour milk in their Froot Loops. He was about to escape to the car when he spotted Natalie stopping in her tracks and turning towards him.

She had been walking (practically marching) through the canteen as a short cut to the training rooms when she saw him. Her mechanical manner softened as her full lips moulded into a very small smile. Small, but present nonetheless. He noted that one simple change gave her eyes depth and her skin a glow. Made her seem _human._

It was all quite unnerving.

"Happy."

He smiled, "Natalie, good to see you."

He rose to take the hand she offered. She shook it firmly and professionally. He supposed he shouldn't have expected any different.

"Actually, it's Natasha. Natasha Romanoff. I had to go under a different name when working for Stark."

"Oh, yeah, I remember now."

He smiled. _Natasha Romanoff, right, _he thought to himself. (He had been told very briefly by Tony that "Catwoman Natalie is actually S.H.I.E.L.D agent Natasha Romanoff. CV was a fake, job was a fake. And her Latin's not _that _great.")

She spoke and broke him out of his reverie. "How have you been?"

"Ah, good. Can't complain. Well, apart from Tony... being Tony."

"I know exactly what you mean. Two weeks was more than enough for me, I don't know how you've done it for so long."

She smiled again, but a little bigger than before. He could get used to that. And it was all in jest. Tony was a good friend of his, and if not one to Natal-Natasha, then still closer to her than he had been before. Hurling yourself through a space vortex did things for your reputation, he supposed.

He was about to ask her how she herself was when another black-clad agent appeared at her side. He was slightly taller than her with a strong set jaw and sandy hair. He nodded curtly at him. Happy could only do the same. Natasha turned to him, her features slipping back into indifference.

"Clint. Sorry, I got caught up," she apologised and turned to stand between the men.

"Clint, this is Happy Hogan. Tony's driver. We met when I was undercover," she looked back at Happy, "And this is Clint Barton. My partner."

_Her partner. _Happy held out his hand and Clint shook it strongly after casting an eye over it. Something about him put Happy on edge.

"So you're Hawkeye. I've heard of you, from Tony mostly. But all good, don't worry," he grinned awkwardly.

He _had _heard about him from Tony, it was no lie. But he may have economised slightly on the 'all good' part. _Ah well, he probably knows that anyway, _Happy conceded. He attempted to pose Natasha a question once more.

"And how have you been? Apart from the ordinary, though," he joked.

He thought he saw something flicker across her face for a moment. Uneasiness? Stress? "I've been... good," she glanced at Clint, "Better than before."

Happy didn't miss the fleeting look they shared. It betrayed something stronger than just a working relationship. They seemed to connect, an electric current between their gazes, something far from platonic. They wouldn't have expected him to pick up on it, but he had. He had noticed similar looks between Tony and Pepper. For some reason it deflated him.

"It was good seeing you again," Natasha said, "We were actually planning on training just now."

"Well don't let me stop you," he said good-naturedly, "It was good seeing you too."

She turned to go, "Maybe I'll get some boxing lessons sometime?"

He decided to humour her, "Just say the word."

They both looked at him in farewell and left to train, their backs straight and paces in sync. He was sure she remembered flipping him on his ass in the ring. Even if she were serious, he didn't fancy the idea of her partner doing the same, if not much worse. He mirrored Natasha in every way. They were two of a kind, a kind that not many wanted to be. He could see that they would kill for each other, literally. But still, they seemed so _right_.

Happy had entertained the idea of him and her. Perhaps she'd see something in him, something she would say yes to a drink for. Now, he realised, he couldn't have been much further from the truth.

He looked up as Pepper arrived, tucking a stray sunshine curl behind her ear. "Sorry about that, Tony and Bruce had a science moment - it was actually quite entertaining," she grinned, "Ready to go?"

"Sure. Where's the first box?"

He followed her through a few nondescript corridors, red curls and sad eyes still lingering on his mind.

He should've waited in the car.

* * *

Awww... poor Happy.

Reviews _just _might cheer him up...


End file.
